JPS6126477B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a hand device that can be lifted and lowered and rotated.

Hand devices used for automatically loading and unloading workpieces onto and from processing machines generally have fingers that can pivot at a certain angle in order to, for example, turn over the gripped workpiece. The hand device is attached to an arm mounted on the traveling carriage of the manipulator, and the arm moves together with the traveling carriage and also moves up and down at the transfer point of the workpiece, making it small and lightweight. It is hoped that

An example of a conventional hand device capable of raising/lowering and turning operations will be explained based on FIG. 1. A movable assembly 1 of the hand device is supported on an arm on a traveling carriage of a manipulator (not shown in the figure) so as to be able to rise and fall freely, and a pair of fingers 2 that can be opened and closed are attached to the tip of the movable assembly 1 that is rotatably supported at its lower end. A hand mechanism 3 is provided, and the hand mechanism 3 is provided with a finger opening/closing drive mechanism that opens and closes the finger 2 and a turning operation device 4 that turns the finger 2, although not shown. The drive motors 5 and 6 of the finger opening/closing drive mechanism and the turning operation device 4 are attached to the upper part of the movable assembly 1, and are connected to the relevant mechanisms and devices via the operating shaft 5a and the connecting shaft 6a, respectively. The turning operation device 4 is fitted into a drive shaft 7 directly connected to a connecting shaft 6a, and has a small gear 8a frictionally coupled thereto, a large gear 8b meshingly coupled to the small gear 8a, and a large gear 8b attached thereto. The main part is constituted by the pivot shaft 9 of the hand mechanism 3. The rotation shaft 9 is rotatably attached to a cylindrical fixed part 10 surrounding the lower end of the operating shaft 5a via a bearing 11, and the frictional connection between the drive shaft 7 and the small gear 8a is integrally formed with the drive shaft 7. Place the surface of the guard 7a on the small gear 8.
A disc spring 12 consisting of a plurality of overlapping pieces via a
As a result, when the torque applied to the small gear 8a exceeds a certain value, the small gear 8a slips on the pressing surface. Further, an electromagnetic brake 13 is provided at the lower end of the drive shaft 7, and brakes the drive shaft 7 when the hand mechanism 3 finishes turning.
It also has the role of holding the drive shaft 7 after it has stopped.
A stopper 3 that engages with the upper end of the outer periphery of the case 3a of the hand mechanism 3 and the lower surface of the case 4a of the turning operation device 4 to regulate the turning angle of the hand mechanism 3
b and 4b, and the rotation shaft 9 is provided with a limit switch 14 for detecting its rotation angle.
A cam 15 is mounted which engages and operates the cam 15.

In the above configuration, the hand mechanism 3 is rotated by the electric motor 6, and just before the stoppers 3b and 4b come into contact, the cam 15 operates the limit switch 14 to cut off the power circuit of the electric motor 6, and at the same time, the electromagnetic brake 13 is turned on. When activated, the drive shaft 7 is braked and fixed. Even if the stoppers 3b and 4b come into contact with each other due to coasting due to the inertia of the electric motor 6, they slide on the collar 7a, the spring 12, and the pressing surface of the small gear 8a, thereby alleviating the impact of the stoppers 3b and 4b.

In such a configuration, the drive motor 6 of the swing operation device 4, the connecting shaft 6a, and their supporting parts, which are not directly required when handling the workpiece 25, are integrated into the movable assembly 1. Therefore, the weight applied to the vertical movement part of the arm (not shown) will increase, and as a result, the weight of the workpiece to be transported will be limited, or the capacity of the drive device such as an electric motor or pneumatic cylinder for vertical movement of the arm will increase. Furthermore, the installation of the electric motor 6 in the movable assembly 1 increases the complexity of the wiring process, and the connection shaft 6a becomes necessary, all of which have drawbacks that lead to increased costs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to eliminate the above-mentioned conventional drawbacks and provide a hand device that is small, lightweight, and inexpensive and capable of lifting, lowering, and turning operations.

According to the present invention, the above objects include a movable assembly that is supported on a support part so as to be freely raised and lowered, a lifting drive mechanism that raises and lowers the movable assembly, and a finger mechanism that is rotatably supported on the movable assembly and has a finger mechanism at its tip. A hand mechanism, a finger opening/closing drive mechanism for opening and closing fingers of the hand mechanism, and a turning operation device for turning the hand mechanism, wherein the turning operation device is carried on the movable assembly side. The movable assembly includes a pivot shaft mechanism mechanically coupled to the hand mechanism and provided with a first clutch portion at its tip, and a pivot drive mechanism supported on the support portion side and provided with a second clutch portion at its tip. When the body is raised to the upper operating end by the lifting drive mechanism, the first and second clutch portions engage with each other so that the hand mechanism can be rotated by the swing drive mechanism. It can be achieved.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below based on the drawings. In FIG. 2, the same reference numerals as those of the conventional device shown in FIG. 1 are given to correspond, and the differences will be explained. The difference is that the swing operation device 20 is supported on the movable assembly 1 side and mechanically coupled to the hand mechanism 3, and the swing shaft mechanism 21 includes a first clutch portion 7b at the tip of the drive shaft 7, and The rotating drive mechanism 24 is carried on an arm 22 and has a second clutch part 23 at its tip that can be engaged with the first clutch part 7b. is the swing drive mechanism 24
They are separated and lowered, and then connected during the ascent process after handling, allowing them to be rotated at any desired position for transportation. In detail,
In the conventional device shown in FIG. 1, the driving shaft 7 and the connecting shaft 6a are separated at the joining part to form a convex first clutch 7b at the tip of the driving shaft 7, and the swing driving mechanism 24 is connected to the driving shaft 7. An electric motor 26 is provided coaxially with a brake 26a, and the electric motor 26 is provided with a brake 26a.
A spline boss 29 is connected to the output shaft end of the spline boss 29 via a coupling ring 27 and rotatably supported by a bearing stand 28, and a first clutch portion 7b is inserted through the spline boss 29 so as to be able to rotate axially. a concave second clutch portion 23 that can be coupled with the second clutch portion 23, and a spline shaft 31 biased by a spring 30 toward the second clutch portion 23 toward the first clutch portion 7b.
and sensors 32 for determining the quality of the connection between the clutch parts.

When handling of the workpiece 25 with the above configuration is commanded and the movable assembly 1 begins to descend, the second clutch portion 23 and the first clutch portion 7b are simultaneously disengaged and the movable assembly 1 is separated from the swing drive mechanism 24. The rotation of the separated pivot shaft mechanism 21 is restrained by the electromagnetic brake 13, and the rotation of the rotation drive mechanism 24 is restrained by the brake 26a, so that there is no problem in reconnection. When the handling operation is finished and the movable assembly 1 rises again, both clutch parts 7 are released before the rising end.
b, 23 are coupled together, and the spring force of the spring 30 provides a stable coupled state. When it is necessary to turn the hand mechanism 3, the electromagnetic brake 13 is released and the electric motor 26 is used to turn the hand mechanism 3, as in the conventional device, and this turning operation is possible even when the cart is running as long as the arm is stopped at the rising end. Become.

As described above, according to the present invention, by separating the rotation drive mechanism of the hand mechanism from the movable assembly of the hand device, it is possible to increase the weight of the transported workpiece, and the structure of the arm to which the hand device is attached is simplified. This makes it possible to reduce the number of cables and moveable wiring.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of an example of a conventional hand device capable of lifting and turning operations, and FIG. 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a hand device capable of lifting and lowering and turning operations according to the present invention. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1...Movable assembly, 2...Finger, 3...Hand mechanism, 7b...First clutch portion, 13...Electromagnetic brake, 20...Swivel operation device, 21...Swivel shaft mechanism, 22... Arm, 23...second clutch portion, 24...swivel drive mechanism, 26a...brake.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A movable assembly supported on a support portion so as to be able to rise and fall freely;
a lifting drive mechanism for raising and lowering the movable assembly; a hand mechanism rotatably supported by the movable assembly and having a finger mechanism at its tip; a finger opening/closing drive mechanism for opening and closing fingers of the hand mechanism; and a swing operating device for swinging the hand mechanism, the swing operating device comprising a swing shaft mechanism carried on the movable assembly side, mechanically coupled to the hand mechanism, and provided with a first clutch portion at the tip. , a turning drive mechanism supported on the support part side and having a second clutch part at its tip, and when the movable assembly is raised to its upper operating end by the lifting drive mechanism, the first and second clutches are 1. A hand device capable of lifting and lowering and turning operation, characterized in that two clutch portions are engaged with each other so that the hand mechanism can be turned by the turning drive mechanism. 2. The hand device according to claim 1, in which the support portion comprises a horizontally movable cart and an arm attached to the cart, the movable assembly is supported by the arm so as to be movable up and down, and the A hand device capable of lifting and lowering and turning, characterized in that a turning mechanism is supported on the trolley. 3. The hand device according to claim 1, characterized in that an electromagnetic brake that is released when the swing drive mechanism performs a swing operation is provided on the mechanically coupled side of the swing axis mechanism with the hand mechanism. Hand device that can be lifted and lowered and rotated. 4. The hand device according to claim 1 or 3, wherein the swing drive mechanism is provided with an electromagnetic brake that is released when the mechanism operates to swing. Device.